I know that the JCW has upgraded brakes over the Cooper S.

I'm just curious what's the difference between the standard JCW brakes and the JCW 12.4" Drilled Front Brake Rotors Option?

Thanks

 

According to brembo's website:

Why use drilled or slotted discs?
Drilling or slotting discs aids the disc in several ways:

The edges of the slots or holes continuously clean and refresh the pad surface as well as providing increased brake "bite". Additionally, they prevent gasses from collecting between the pad and disc interface.
The disc is lightened, thereby decreasing its rotational inertia.
Improved ventilation increases the disc's ability to shed heat, resulting in cooler operating temperatures

What are the advantages of drilled and slotted discs?
The main advantages of drilled and slotted discs are the same: increased brake "bite", and a continuous refreshing of the brake pad surface. Drilled discs have the additional advantage of being lighter and running cooler.

I would say, more than anything, it's for aesthetics.

Kevin

 

Besides looking good, they do what they say. Just not sure you will reap the benefits of the upgrade kit on the street though.

 

slotted rotors will teach you how to change pads

 

The drilled rotors look cool but offer no performance benefit whatsoever. They will however crack far easier than a blank rotor under heavy (read: track) use.

 

Nooooo performance benefits whatsoever ? Bit finite aye ?

Must be why the same style rotors are standard equipment on the Porsche GT3 RS.....

 

Yup, the pads pay for the added bite from what I've been told. IT makes sense if you think about it. It's the cheese grater effect . For the street the regular old JCW rotors are MORE than enough IMO. I like when somebody drives my car for the first time, they always hit the brakes too hard the first time.

 

Porsche engineers succumb to marketing department as well. The fact remains that a rotor dissipates heat with its mass and tiny holes only serve to create more issues with stress fractures under heat and heavy usage.

That said, Porsche drilled rotors are generally stronger than many blank counterparts.

 

Everyone I know at the track has either slotted or solid ones. Cross drilled, sans Porsche ones, crack WAY too easily. They look good though, but only for the street.

 

The more surface area you have -The more stopping power you have.

The drilled slotted rotors use up valuable surface area even though they look great. The non-slotted/drilled rotors that come on a factory JCW are vented and stay cooler then the beauty queen rotors that look great.

 

There is a clear difference between the R53 brakes and what works for them, and the R56's (JCW Brake caliper option ).

The R53's have tons of brake fade when they're heated up and clearly require better plates and pads for track use.

The R56's style or the JCW Sport Brake kit for 02-06's on an R53, are just the opposite. Havng tons of grab, and plenty in reserve....Some even say they have too much grip.

I have run alll three set up's.

In regards to the two different JCW Rotors, for the R53: I find no difference in brake dust left on the rims. They also provide the same stopping power I had with the JCW rotors they came with. The drilled holes and slots merely vent brake gasses which normally build up between the pads and rotors providing better adheasion , and thus a little more brake wear.

And they shuuurrrre look perrrty in either car

 

I use my car at the track, I used my Taurus SHO at the track, my RX7 at the track, all with drilled slotted rotors. I've NEVER had a rotor crack or warp. I've had my RX7 rotors GLOWING red with no ill results.

Oh and the drilled slotted rotors do look awesome

 

purely aesthetic

 

There is one advantage slotted rotors have over drilled and also stock (non slotted, non drilled). Because the slot cleans the pad, slotted rotors do not score nearly as much. Because scoring is kept to a minimum the surface area is more consistent for the life of the pad/rotor when compared to the opposite side of the car. This virtually eliminates any pulling as the pads/rotors wear.

As far as drilled rotors and cracking goes, I roadraced motorcycles in the 80's and early 90's on the national level. Granted a 400 lb bike is relatively easy on brakes but I never saw anyone crack a rotor and all bike brakes were drilled.

 

Maybe if someone were to take cheap poorly cast/machined chinese rotors from the local parts store and drill them they may crack.. however.. I've never seen it happen to aftermarket or factory drilled/slotted ones..

 

I am in need of new rotors on my MCS and would like to know whether it is worth while to upgrade to the jcw rotors?

 

For the MCS, the upgrade is shown in the JCW section, but they are the same size rotors as you have currently, just with drilled holes.

They will be an upgrade cosmetically, but really adding drilled rotors that are no larger than your current ones just takes away from the surface area that the brake pad has to grab.

They are more prone to cracking, but that's usually at track temps or being driven with a ton of abuse. The JCW ones are very expensive for what they are. I'd suggest going the aftermarket route and possibly getting cryo-treated cross-drilled rotors if you want that look since they will likely last longer and be less prone to developing cracks.

 

What most people here say. 5 years in track sessions showed me lots of cracked drilled discs. They look really good tough.

 

JCW rotors are larger, you will need the JCW calipers.

 

Heard this BS before.....Not everyone tracks their MINI on weekends

I have 80K miles on the same JCW pads and JCW Drilled/slotted rotors....they are like new with 50% meat left on pads and the rotors are perfect.

Maybe the ones you purport to be "seeing" are equipped with non OEM pads which will create more friction/heat/rotor wear .......

 

To be really clear, as sometimes is not clear for every reader. And is not BS as I have seen it. Tons of times, so do not say its BS.

Not good for track, look good and the are ok for street, as everyone said here before. Thats what I meant, and, again, is not BS.

As for the drilled rotors, It depends on how you plan to use the use them

 

I recently needed new front brakes on my '09 JCW. I asked for the slotted/drilled rotors as an upgrade. Both the service manager and the parts manager talked me out of it. They said that after market super slotted rotors would be the way to go for the track. The slotted/drilled ones from MINI are more for show than performance. The stock JCW rotors and brake pads already grab like vice grips, and are fine for daily use and the occasional track/auto cross day. The other reason why I did not get them is that they are only available for the fronts, and I thought it looked silly without the rears also slotted/drilled like you see on a Porsche.